When Is the Best Season to Visit Yellowstone?

There simply is no “best time” to visit Yellowstone. Every season offers something different to those who travel to the world's first national park.

Summer in Yellowstone

Summer Wildflowers in Yellowstone

Deposit Photos

The months between Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend are exceptionally beautiful, although they draw the highest volumes of families taking summer vacations and road trips.

Summers alone attract more than two million tourists, but you can beat the influx of campers and sightseers if you travel to Yellowstone early in June or September. Catch a quieter Yellowstone in the early days of September, after kids are back to school, bison are nearly done with finding mates and the mosquito swarms die down.

Spring in Yellowstone

A snowy spring day at Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone

NPS Jacob W Frank

The spring is called the “mud season,” and is a low-volume time to visit Yellowstone. It can still be cold and snowy. The remaining snow of winter thaws turning the park’s roads, trails, meadows and campgrounds—you guessed it—muddy, icy, snowy and difficult to navigate.

Many roads in the park remain closed in spring, limiting where you can go, and a lot of the facilities are closed, including hotels, restaurants and visitor centers. This season may yield swampy hiking conditions, occasional mudslides blocking parts of the Grand Loop, slushy snowpack and freezing pouring rain that could hamper activities in Yellowstone like driving, skiing, biking or boating.

The upside to going in spring? Tourism is at a minimum during these months (with good reason) leaving the park, weather and roads permitting, all to yourself. And you'll have a chance to see baby animals.

Autumn in Yellowstone

Lewis Falls in Autumn

Leaves and grasses turn lovely yellows and oranges. There’s that slight bite in the air. And the masses of summer tourists have returned home. Fall in Yellowstone National Park is a magical time to visit for dozens of reasons -just make sure you check for road closures (usually early November) and pack appropriately for unpredictable weather.

Visiting Yellowstone in September and early October can be especially exciting because the elk are in rut and act a little crazy. If you are a witness, stay at a safe distance.

Winter in Yellowstone

Yellowstone winter visitors at Dragon's Mouth Spring.

NPS Jim Peaco

A winter in Yellowstone is simply magic. Steam from thermal vents and springs turn to frost on nearby trees, elk post-hole through thick snow, and geysers burst boiling hot water scattering into droplets that freeze in the air.

The season begins late in December and lasts sometimes through March, open for cross-country skiing, ice-climbing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and exploring the ski and snow vehicle trails that cut through snowy basins like Black Sand, and frozen waterfalls that shimmer like frosted chandeliers.

Pssst. Want to receive a printed insider’s guide to Yellowstone, where to stay and what to do? Order our free stunning Yellowstone Trip Planner filled with an inspiring itinerary, gorgeous photographs and everything you need to plan your dream vacation.

J. Scott Donahue is a freelance writer and essayist with a passion for alpine climbing, trail running and other hard things. He writes for YellowstonePark.com and Sierra Club and graduated with an MFA in nonfiction writing.